Thermostatic regulator



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THERMOSTATIG REGULATOR. No. 446,583. Patented Feb. 17,1891.

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E. e. MERRILL. THERMOSTATIG REGULATOR.

No. 446,583. Patented Feb. 17,1891.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. E. C. MERRILL.

THERMOSTATIO REGULATOR. No. 446,583. Patented Feb. 17, 1891.

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WITNESSES supply of gaseous fuel to a heating-furnace the general objects of the invention.

detail of the secondary valve; Figs. VI and which projects a finger or pointer (I, which ire TATFS arnivr tl rrrcn,

EDIVIN G. MERRILL, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

TH ERMOSTATIC REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters IE'atent No. 446,583, dated February 17, 1891.

. Application filed May 17, 1890.

To all whom, it may concern..-

Be it known that I, EDWIN C.I\IERR1LL, of Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Thermostatic Regulators, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention has reference particularly to the construction of thermostatic regulating apparatus for automatically controlling the in such manner that the consumption of fuel is always limited to just the amount required to maintain a certain predetermined tempera ture.

The invention embraces improvements upon the apparatus described in my patent, No. 412,280, dated October 8, 1889, to which reference may be had for a fuller explanation of The particular improvements included in the present invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure I is a face view of the thermostatic regulator; Fig. II, an elevation of the same with the face-plate removed; Fi III, a vertical section of the same showing also the main valve in section and its connections with the secondary valve; Fig. IV, a partial rear View of the regulator; FigV, a sectional VII, sectional details of the main valve; Fig. VIII, a detail illustrating the connection of the thermostatlever with one of the expansible arms. Fig. IX is an enlarged detail showing the main valve in section, and Fig. X is a diagram.

The operating parts of the regulator are supported on a metal casting or base A, upon which is placed the cover or face-plate B. This apparatus is designed to be hung upon the wall of a room whose temperature is to be regulated, and is suitably designed and ornamented so as to present a sightly and pleasin g appearance. The face-plate B also serves as a frame for a thermometer (J, by which the proper working of the apparatus may be verified or secured by adjustment when necessary, and said plate has a slot D, through Serial No. 352,132. (Nomodeh) indicates the positionof the main regulating valve at the furnace, as hereinafter described.

E is the main-valve box, and F the valve therein connected by a stem 6 with a flexible diaphragm f, which is clamped between two concave castings, forming two chambers g and h.

I represents the main supply-pipe, which conveys the gas at the pressure of the main to the valve-chamber, and K is the deliverypipe leading to the furnace.

As is apparent from inspection of the drawings, when the diaphragm f rises by pressure on its under side the valve F is moved toward its seat, reducing or cutting off the supply of gas, and vice versa. opposite sides of diaphragm f is controlled, as in my said patent, by a secondary valve 7a in a valve box or chamber Z, attached to the base A of the regulator. The valve It acts in connection with a port at, and is connected with a flexible diaphragm 117.. Its stem is flexibly connected with an actuating-lever 0.

Stem c of the main valve is hollow, and near its lower end it has a small aperture 2', through which gas can enter from the main inlet I into the hollow stem, and so pass into the upper chamber g. Thence it is led by pipe 19 to the port at of the secondary valve, and (if the secondary valve be open) returns by pipe (1 to the small passage or channel '7', by which the lighter at the furnace is supplied by pipe '1). Inasmuch as the secondary valve is not always open and this supply would at times fail, the passage 0" communt cates by a lateral passage 5 with the main supply-pipe I. (See Fig. III.) The size of this passage can be regulated by an adj usting-screw L.

In Fig. X, I have indicated diagrammatically the connections of the entire system. The delivery pipe K is shown as leading through a miXerYto a ring-burner W at the furnace, and the small pipe e, as leading to an igniter U, below the burner IV.

. As heretofore, the apparatus is arranged so that if for any reason the temperature falls below that to which the regulator is adjusted, the secondary valve will be closed, thereby The pressure on accumulating pressure in the chamber g, 1

ver 15 one way or the other.

valve to open more widely and pass a greater quantity of gas to the furnace.

The actuating-lever 0, through which motion is communicated to the valve 7c from the thermostat, is hung by a flexible connection or link 2 from arod 3, supported and movable crosswise in the frame or base A. By adjust ing this rod through the thumb-nuts L 5 and spring 6, the fulcrum of levero can be moved toward or away from the valve and the latter caused to close sooner or later, according as it is desired to raise or lower thetemperat-ure to be maintained,

The thermostat-lever t, which transmits motion to the valve-lever 0, has at its lower end a flat spring 7, and a pin 8 projects from the end of lever 0 between this spring and the end of lever I so that when by contraction of the thermostat-arms levert is tilted in the direction to close valve 7.", the motion is transmitted to lever 0 by the spring 7. The pressure of this spring is suflieient to close the valve firml but in case an abnormal fall of temperature should cause the thermostat-arms to contract more than required to bring the valve against its seat, the spring will yield to this further movement and prevent the arms being distorted or other injury being done to the apparatus.

Lever t is actuated by two thermostat-arms, they being connected to the lever in such manner as to supplement each other in action. Practically it is impossible to construct two expansible arms in such manner that each shall have under all CllCLll'IlSlfllJCGS precisely the same degree of motion. Hence the full effect of the two arms could not be realized if the lever twere fulcrumed to a fixed point. Consequently the lever is so connected to the ends of the two arms as to turn on a variable center between the two pivotal points.

As shown in the drawings, lever 25 is bent at its upper. end, and at this end is pivoted in the two metal loops 9 and 10 by screws 11. Loop 9 is rigidly attached to the zinc straps 2,which constitute the right thermostat-arm,

the; other end of which is screwed fast to the base A by screw 13. It is clear that if the other arm were constructed and connected in the same way the motions of the two would neutralize each other and not tend to tilt le- The left arm, therefore, is composed of two zinc straps 14, and an intermediate bar 15, of iron or other metal, having a much lower coefficient of expansion than zinc. The zinc and iron straps 14 15 are riveted together at their lower ends, and this end of the arm is not fixed, as is the case with arm 12, but is supported byascrew 16, through a hole in the shank of which passes loosely the small rod 21, attached to the arm. At the upper end of the arm the zinc straps lat are fined to the base A by screw 17. This screw passes through a slot 18 in the iron bar 15, and so does not interfere with its movement. The loop 10, supporting the end of lever t, is attached only to the iron bar 15. Under these conditions, if the zinc straps 1-l contract, the iron bar 15 will be drawn up, and as the arm 12 acts upon the lever in the opposite direction the latter will turn on a center somewhere between the screws 11; Thus, though the degree of motion of the two arms may be very unequal, the full effect of the motions of both is imparted to the lever t, the only consequence of such inequality being that its cen ter is brought nearer to the arm imparting the smaller motion.

In the initial adjustment of the apparatus it is of great importance to know at what point the main valve at the furnace opens. To indicate this is the function of the indicator or finger (1, already referred to. This finger is one end of a lever whoseinner end is con nected with another lever or arm 00, which in turn is connected with the rear side of a di its slot, the. parts being held in this position by the pressure of a light spring 20 against lever :r. hen, however, the secondary valve begins to close, pressure accumulates in pipe 19 and consequently in the branch pipe .2 and chamber in front of the diaphragm y, the latter being thereby pressed outward. This movement transmitted through leverxto the indicator d causes the latter to descend until when the main valve is fully open ed it reaches the lower end of its slot.

This form of visual indicator is described as being simple and effective; but the same result could be obtained by other mechanical devices, which for the purpose indicated would be regarded as the equivalent of those described. In like manner other modifications in details of construction and arrange ments of parts which would not constitute a departure from the spirit of the invention will readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in matters of mechanical construction.

I claim as my invention or discovery- 1. A thermostatic regulating device adapted to be placed in the room of a building whose temperature is to be regulated, said device comprising a base on which is mounted the expansible arm or arms, the controlling-valve actuated thereby, and an indicator and diaphragm actuated by pressure in the pipe controlled by said valve, combined with a faceplate covering said parts and provided, with a thermometer and with a slot through which the finger of said indicator projects, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the regulatingvalve in the main pipe actuated by pressure on a supporting-diaphragm, a pipe leading from the main inlet around said diaphragm, a valve in said pipe for regulating the pressure therein, and an indicator actuated by the pressure in said pipe, whereby the condition of the main valve is shown at the secondary valve, substantially as described.

3. lhe combination of the main valve, the secondary valve controlling the pressure of the fluid operating said main valve, and the visual signal or indicator also controlled by the said secondary valve, substantially as described.

4c. The combination of the main valve regulating the amountpf gas supplied to a furnace, the secondary valve controlling the pressure of the fluid operating said main valve, the thermostat connected with and operating the secondary valve, a direct and return pipe for the secondary valx e, a movable device, such as a diaphragm, in a chamber communicating with the direct pipe, and an indicator actuated by said movable device, substantially as described.

5. The combination, With the regulatingvalve in the main pipe and its diaphragm, of a small gas-conduit containing a controllingvalve, said conduit leading from the main inlet through and around said diaphragm and returning to a passage or channel which conductsgas from the main pipe to a constant jet or lighter, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. I

EDXVIN C. MERRILL. Witnesses:

WM. K. GRAY, FINLEY TORRENS. 

